Effect of Plastic Mulch and Drought Periods on Growth and Yield of Potato (solanum tuberosum L). I- Vegetative Growth

The present experiment was carried out in the Experimental Farm of Vegetable Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, Egypt, during the two fall seasons of 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. The soil texture of the experimental site was clay with a pH average of 7.65. Three irrigation periods and four different color of plastic mulch were used, irrigation periods and mulch treatments, will be investigated in the present study to estimate their effects on yield and quality of potato crop under Assiut conditions. The effect of the drought periods was not significant on the percentage of filed emergence, rate of field emergence, number of stems per hill and final plant stand in the two fall seasons. The lowest percentage of germinated tuber was recorded from plants grown over clear mulch; however, the lowest rate of field emergence was obtained from plots covered with black plastic mulch (BPE) in both seasons. The full irrigated treatments gave significantly the tallest plant in both seasons. Results indicated that average stem height values for the five mulch treatments followed the order BPM>RPM >WPM >CPM>C. Plots covered with white plastic (WPM) followed by (BPM) sheets significantly gave the highest number of stems per hill in both seasons. Full irrigated plots significantly gave the highest percentage of foliage dry matter of potato (20.7%) in the second season, however, in the first season opposite trend was recorded, the severe stress treatment (IS 30) significantly gave the highest percentage of foliage dry weight. Plots covered with black plastic sheets (BPM) gave significantly the highest percentage of foliage dry weight in both seasons.